Burner mounting in air heaters



March 7, 1967 H. M. BLUMENSHINE 3,30

. BURNER MOUNTING IN AIR HEATERS Filed May 10, 1965 INVENTOR Maw M.AQZ/MfA/iAV/VF United States Patent 3,307,606 BURNER MOUNTING IN AIRHEATERS Hugh M. Blumenshine, Whittier, Calif., assignor to HollyDivision, Lear Siegler, Inc., South Gate, Califi, a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 10, 1965, Ser. No. 454,445 3 Claims. (Cl. 1587) Thisinvention relates to air heaters and, more particularly, to means forreleasably mounting a gas-fired burner assembly to a tubular heatexchanger of an air heater adjacent an open lower end of the heatexchanger.

Gas-fired air heaters of the type which are mountable vertically eitherto the exterior or the interior of a wall in a dwelling, for example,commonly include a vertically disposed tubular heat exchanger, and athermostatically controlled burner assembly mounted adjacent the openlower end of the heat exchanger. In order that the air heaters may beinstalled between the studs in a wall, which studs normally have aspacing of 18 inches, the air heater must be compact in construction.Existing air heaters have the burner assembly removably secured to theheat exchanger by nuts and bolts to facilitate removal of the burnerassembly for servicing and the like. Because of the necessarycompactness of construction, however, these nuts and bolts often must beplaced in such a position that they are not readily accessible when itis desired that the heater be serviced. This means that the servicing ofthe heater is complicated.

This invention provides a novel structure for releasably and yet firmlymounting the burner assembly to an adjacent lower end of the heatexchanger of an air heater of the type referred to above. The mechanismincludes a pair of resiliently biased lugs which are readily accessiblefrom the front of the heater when servicing is desired. This mountingmechanism is simple, effective, and economical.

Generally speaking, this invention resides in an air heater whichincludes a. vertical heat exchanger having an open lower end, and burnerassembly mounted adjacent the lower end of the heat exchanger. The heatexchanger has a downward extension to which the burner assembly ismounted. The invention comprises improved means for releasably mountingthe burner assembly in position relative to the lower end of the heatexchanger. This mounting mechanism includes projection means extendedrearwardly from the burner assembly. The extension defines means forreceiving and supporting the projection means. The burner assemblydefines an aperture at each end thereof. A pair of lugs, each configuredto register with the apertures, are provided, together with resilientmeans for mounting each lug to the extension and for positioning thelugs for registry with the respective apertures when the burner assemblyis in position adjacent the lower end of the heat exchanger with theprojection means engaged with and supported by the receiving means. 'The lugs normally register in the apertures so that the burner assemblyis supported in the extension. The lugs, however, are movable out ofregistry with the apertures against the bias of the resilient means sothat the burner assembly is removable from the heat exchanger merely bydisengagement of the projection means from their receiving means.

The above-mentioned and other features of the present invention are morefully set forth in the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the lower end of an air heaterequipped with the burner assembly mount ing means of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view showing the burner assemblyin position adjacent the open lower end of the air heater heatexchanger;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectioned plan view of a preferred mountingmechanism according to this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectioned elevation view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.3.

FIGURE 1 shows an air heater 5 which includes a vertically extendingrectangularly cross-sectional tubular heat exchanger 6 equipped with adownwardly extending skirt or extension 7. The skirt has verticallydisposed surrounding sides 8 and a back 9 disposed below thecorresponding surfaces of the heat exchanger around the open lower endof the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger itself is supported on a floor13, or the like, by a pair of legs 14 secured to the sides of the heatexchanger and extending downwardly therefrom.

A burner assembly 15 is releasably mounted to the lower end of the heatexchanger adjacent the open end thereof via skirt 7. The burner assemblyincludes a burner element 16 (see FIG. 2) having an inlet throat 17 anda thermostatically operated pilot light unit 18. A gassupply duct 19 isconnected to the throat of the burner element via an assembly 20 ofburner assembly control devices which do not form a portion of thisinvention and, therefore, are not described in detail. It is sufiicientto note, however, that assembly 20 includes both main gas and pilotlight control valves and a main gas flow regulator. The burner assemblyalso includes a pan 22 defining a rectangular central opening 23 boundedon its forward and rear sides by depending flanges 24 and 25 extendingdownwardly from the pan. The burner element is secured to flanges 24 and25 by screws 26. An air deflector 27 has a vertical leg 28 secured atits upper end to flange 25. The deflector also has a horizontal leg 29which extends forwardly of the burner assembly around throat 17 of theburner element.

A U-shaped handle 30, having a portion 31 disposed parallel to flange25, extends rearwardly from the upper end of leg 28 of shield 27. Thelower extremity of skirt rear wall 9 defines a horizontally disposed,forwardly extending flange 32. When the burner assembly is in itsoperating position adjacent the lower end of the heat exchanger, asshown in FIG. 2, the lower edge of handle portion 31 is supported on theupper surface of flange 32. Accordingly, handle defines a projectionextending rearwardly from the burner assembly, and flange 32 definesmeans for receiving and supporting the projection to assist inmaintaining the burner assembly in the desired position relative to theheat exchanger.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, pan 22 at its opposite ends defines apair of upstanding lugs 35 and 36. An aperture 37 is formed through eachof these lugs. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the burner assembly is inits proper operative position adjacent the lower end of the heatexchanger, apertures 37 register with slot apertures 38 formed in thesides of skirt 7 adjacent the extending front edges thereof.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a preferred mechanism for vertically releasablysecuring the burner assembly to the heat exchanger in cooperation withthe coaction between handle 30 and skirt flange 32. A resilient rnetalstrip 40 is disposed adjacent each of the opposing surfaces of skirtsides 8. Each strip is secured to the skirt at a location spacedrearwardly from the front vertical edge of the respective skirt sidewalls. Preferably the point of connection of each resilient strip isdirectly rearwardly of,

the respective slot apertures 38. Each strip extends forwardly along theinner surface of the skirt wall to beyond the front edge of the skirt.At this location, each strip 40 is bent toward the other strip for ashort distance and then forwardly to a cantilevered end 41. Theconfiguration of each strip 40 adjacent its cantilevered end 41 definesa manually engageable tab 42 whereby the strip is movable away from theskirt against the bias of the strip. Preferably each strip is connectedto skirt 7 by a pair of lips 43 formed integral with the strip andengaged in an aperture 44 formed in the skirt directly rearwardly of therespective slot aperture.

Each strip 40 mounts a lug or detent projection 45 adjacent therespective slot aperture 38. Each strip is biased so that the normalposition of the associated detent projection is in registry with theadjacent slot aperture, i.e., so that the detent projection extendsthrough the slot aperture. Preferably, each detent projection 45 isformed integral with the corresponding resilient strip 40.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the burner assembly is in itsoperative position adjacent the lower end of heat exchanger 11,upstanding lugs 35, 36 of burner assembly pan 22 are disposed betweenstrips 40 and skirt side walls 8 with lug apertures 37 registered with aslot apertures 38 and with lugs 45 passing through the registeredapertures. Accordingly, the burner assembly is held securely and firmlyin position relative to the heat exchanger. As noted above, furtherpositioning and support of the burner assembly relative to the heatexchanger is provided by coaction between handle 30 and skirt flange 32.

When it is desired to remove the burner assembly from the air heater toservice the burner assembly, a servicernan need only move tabs 42 towardeach other to clear detent projections 45 from engagement within alignedapertures 37 and 38. Such disengagement of the detent projections fromthe registered apertures allows the burner assembly to be pivoteddownwardly away from the heat exchanger; the fulcrum for such pivotalmovement is at the connection between handle 30 and skirt flange 32.After burner element 16 clears the open lower end of the burnerassembly, the Serviceman then merely disengages handle 30 from skirtflange 32. After servicing of the burner assembly is completed, theprocess is reversed to restore the burner assembly to its operativeposition relative to the heat exchanger.

There has been described above novel, simple, effective, and eflicientmeans for releasably, yet securely and firmly mounting the burnerassembly of an air heater in operative position relative to a heatexchanger of the air heater. The burner assembly mounting structure isreadily accessible from the front of the air heater and does not requirethe use of any tools for its operation.

It is to be understood that the structure described above constitutes apresently preferred embodiment of this invention and that modificationsof this structure, within the scope of this invention, are within thetalents of one having ordinary skill in the art to which the inventionrelates. Accordingly, the following claims, and the reasonableequivalents of the structures defined therein, rather than the foregoingdescription, define the true scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air heater including a vertical heat exchanger having an openlower end and a burner assembly mounted adjacent the lower end of theheat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a downward extension mountingthe burner assembly, the improvement comprising means for releasablymounting the burner assembly in position relative to the lower end ofthe heat exchanger including projection means extended rearwardly of theburner assembly, the extension defining means for receiving theprojection means, the burner assembly defining an aperture at each endthereof, a pair of lugs configured to register with said apertures,resilient means mounting each lug to the extension and positioning thelugs for registry with the respective apertures when burner assembly isin position adjacent the lower end of the heat exchanger with theprojection means engaged with the receiving means, the lugs normallybeing registered in the apertures to support the burner assembly in theextension but being movable out of registry with the apertures againstthe bias of the resilient means so that the burner assembly is removablefrom the heat exchanger.

2. In an air heater including a vertical duct-type heat exchanger havingan open lower end and a burner assembly mounted adjacent the lower endof the heat exchanger, the improvement comprising means for releasablymounting the burner assembly in position adjacent the lower end of theheat exchanger including means at opposite ends of the burner assemblyeach defining an aperture, a downward extension of the exchanger rearand side walls within which the burner assembly is adapted to fit, theextension adjacent each of the exchanger side walls defining aperturesarranged to register with the corresponding ones of the burner assemblyapertures, projection means extended rearwardly of the burner assembly,receiving means below the exchanger rear wall adapted to cooperate withthe projection means to support the burner assembly, and resilientlybiased means carried by the extension proximate to each of the aperturestherethrough, each resiliently biased means defining a projecting detentnormally disposed in the extension aperture and extended therebeyondinto engagement with the corresponding burner assembly aperture tosupport and position the burner assembly relative to the heat exchangerin cooperation with said projection means, the resiliently biased meansbeing operable against the bias thereof to disengage the detents fromthe burner assembly apertures so that the burner assembly is removablefrom the exchanger.

3. In an air heater including a vertical duct-type heat exchanger havingan open lower end and a burner assembly mounted adjacent the lower endof the heat exchanger, the improvement comprising means for releasablymounting the burner assembly in position adjacent the lower end of theheat exchanger including a downward extension of the exchanger rear andside walls, the extension below the exchanger rear wall defining aprojection extending toward the front of the exchanger, a carrier panadapted to fit horizontally within the extension and to which thecomponents of the burner assembly are mounted, the carrier pan having aprojection extending rearwardly therefrom, the carrier pan and theextension cooperating when the carrier pan is fitted into the extensionwith the carrier pan projection resting on and supported by theextension projection to define two pairs of aligned aperturestherethrough adjacent the front of the heat exchanger, and resilientlybiased means carried by the extension proximate to each of the aperturestherethrough each resiliently biased means defining a projecting detentnormally disposed in the extension aperture and extended therebeyondinto engagement with the carrier pan apertures to support and positionthe burner assembly relative to the heat exchanger in cooperation withsaid projections, the resiliently biased means being operable againstthe bais thereof to disengage the detents from the carrier pan aperturesso that the carrier pan and the apparatus carried thereby is removablefrom the extension.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1936 Smith158--2 5/1965 Batson 158-2

1. IN AN AIR HEATER INCLUDING A VERTICAL HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING AN OPENLOWER END AND A BURNER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THEHEAT EXCHANGER, THE HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A DOWNWARD EXTENSION MOUNTINGTHE BURNER ASSEMBLY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS FOR RELEASABLYMOUNTING THE BURNER ASSEMBLY IN POSITION RELATIVE TO THE LOWER END OFTHE HEAT EXCHANGER INCLUDING PROJECTION MEANS EXTENDED REARWARDLY OF THEBURNER ASSEMBLY, THE EXTENSION DEFINING MEANS FOR RECEIVING THEPROJECTION MEANS, THE BURNER ASSEMBLY DEFINING AN APERTURE AT EACH ENDTHEREOF, A PAIR OF LUGS CONFIGURED TO REGISTER WITH SAID APERTURES,RESILIENT MEANS MOUNTING EACH LUG TO THE EXTENSION AND POSITIONING THELUGS FOR REGISTRY WITH THE RESPECTIVE APERTURES WHEN BURNER ASSEMBLY ISIN POSITION ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH THEPROJECTION MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE RECEIVING MEANS, THE LUGS NORMALLYBEING REGISTERED IN THE APERTURES TO SUPPORT THE BURNER ASSEMBLY IN THEEXTENSION BUT BEING MOVABLE OUT OF REGISTRY WITH THE APERTUES AGAINSTTHE BIAS OF THE RESILIENT MEANS SO THAT THE BURNER ASSEMBLY IS REMOVABLEFROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER.